by Jen | Apr 7, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
He is RISEN, my friend! I still remember when I realized the miracle of Jesus Christ was not that He willingly died a gruesome death He himself didn’t deserve. After all, I’d known many other deceased people who, in my estimation, also hadn’t deserved to die. No, the miracle was that His body, so brutalized by Roman torture and crucifixion that it could not sustain life, spontaneously came alive again without human intervention!
I believe every real Christian experiences something like that when they are “born again.” It’s certainly my story. There was no life left in me when I reached for that revolver. Then the room lit up; I heard Psalm 23:4 and felt a supernatural comfort I still can’t fully describe or explain. I can’t help but wonder if that’s how Jesus would have described what happened to him that first Resurrection Sunday. Every day we’re one day closer to being able to ask Him, aren’t we?
In the meantime, this week I felt the Spirit drawing me to study multiple verses based on an intriguing change in description. In v. 21, Israel is identified as (one) army facing the Philistines, but in v. 36, David declares that Goliath had defied the armies of the living God. The Philistine had certainly insulted Israel’s fighters, but what other army(ies) did David mean? And then in v45, David described YHWH as the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whose name alone was powerful enough to defeat the Philistines.
This week, I began my observation of the text by focusing on the characters, locations, and timeframes I noticed in this passage.
Last Week’s Work
WHO (CHARACTERS)
My review focused on four key players in this scenario:
- the LORD, whom David predicts will deliver him from Goliath. I noticed LORD is all capital letters again in this book. I learned from my recent Psalm 23 study that Old Testament Hebrews referred to God using initials: His name, rendered LORD, was too sacred to pronounce. In v26, the LORD is also described as the living God.
- David, a shepherd, sent by his father with provisions for his older brothers serving in Israel’s army under King Saul. His belief in God was so strong, he volunteered to fight in place of the whole Israeli army against
- Goliath, a Philistine warrior and the fully armored giant, who repeatedly taunted God and Israel’s army but died when he took on David.
- Saul, the king of Israel and thus the leader of Israel’s army in the valley of Elah.
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
The verses I’m studying deal primarily with the battle between David and Goliath, which took place in the Elah Valley (v19). This is significant to me: not just because we just studied Psalm 23, in which David also mentions a valley, but also because it feels like a valley is a difficult place for a fight; if one side gets the better of the other, retreat would mean running up a slope, in full view of your enemies!
Next, David chose five stones from the brook (v40) and declared his goal was to beat Goliath so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel (vv46-47). After David killed Goliath, the Philistines fled (v51).
WHEN (TIME FRAMES)
Goliath bellowed his challenge to send a lone warrior to fight him for forty days, morning and evening (v16), and no one from the army of Israel had taken him on.
David arrived at Israel’s encampment as the host was going out to the battle line (v20).
David told Goliath he would be delivered into David’s hand by the LORD this day (v46).
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my plan for this week:
- PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study. Then I’ll…
- MINE: Look for repeated words or phrases in this passage and check for synonyms or pronouns that refer to the same concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in the study passage.
- Record what the Spirit prompts so I can use it in Steps 4 and 5.
Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I’ll share what I discover with you next week, so I hope you’ll join me then.
GO TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | Mar 31, 2026 | 1 Samuel 17, David and Goliath, DISO studies
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello, Friends. I hope you have plans to celebrate Easter this coming Sunday! It’s my favorite holiday because it commemorates the one miracle that sets Jesus apart from all the other would-be first-century messiahs. All the others had birthdays, but as far as I know, only Jesus has a rebirthday!
Of course, the real purpose for this post is to share my prayer and what the Spirit revealed to me in 1 Samuel 17 this past week, so I’ll get right to that…
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Thank You, Father God, for Your Word and what it reveals about Your character. As I study this story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, help me see, hear, and understand the lessons You have for me. Allow me to guide others through this study so we can faithfully represent You to all we meet. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
This might be a record! I noticed eight Wow!s and four Huh?s as I read through this passage:
- WOW! Pretty high stakes in the battle between David and Goliath: whoever survives their contest wins, and conquers all the loser’s people, too!
- WOW! All Israel’s men fled from Goliath and were much afraid… even when the king promised wealth and his daughter in marriage to the victor. Some warriors they were (vv24-25)!
- WOW! Much bravado on David’s part, “[I’ll] fight with this Philistine” (v32)!
- WOW! Okay, maybe it’s faith: David was sure he’d beat Goliath because the giant had “defied the armies of the living God (v36).”
- WOW! More evidence of David’s faith in vv37 and 46 where he reveals his battle plans!!
- WOW! David approached Goliath with his [shepherd’s?] staff [reminds me of Psalm 23:3!], five smooth stones, and his sling (v40); while Goliath brought a sword, a spear, and a javelin (v45). They each brought three items, but David also brought the LORD (v45)!
- WOW! “… all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s… (v47)”
- WOW! David ran toward the battle line to meet the Philistine (v48). I would never be eager to fight someone bigger, stronger, and better equipped than I am!
- HUH? Who are the armies (plural) of the living God mentioned in v36? Same as the armies of Israel mentioned in v45? But in v21, Israel’s defense is described as [one] army…? Maybe Israel plus a supernatural army?
- HUH? what’s the difference between a spear and a javelin (v45)?
- HUH? What does he mean by the name “the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel (v45).”
- HUH? V50 indicates David … with a stone… struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.” But then v51 says “David… took [the Philistine’s] sword… and killed him…? Did Goliath die by the stone or a sword?
Dig-In Challenges
If you’re doing your own study, listen to the Spirit’s guidance this week and choose your own topic (your personal treasure)from 1 Samuel 17 to dig more deeply into. It can be anything you noticed in your survey of the text that raises a question or resonates with you, or you can use one of my responses above if you like. This personal treasure will help us narrow the focus of our study as it progresses.
- PRAY for the Spirit to direct your focus for the remainder of this study. In your journal, record the personal treasure He identifies, along with any verse(s) relating to it from the study text.
- MINE: Read 1 Samuel 17, focusing on three factors setting the stage in this text: note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I’m looking forward to sharing my notes with you next week!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | Mar 17, 2026 | DISO studies, Psalm 23
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Thank you for visiting with me today! I’m wrapping up my DISO study of Psalm 23, the first in our new series I’m calling God, Who? that explores some of the many biblical names of God. In this study, we discovered King David referring to Him as YHWH Ra’ah, the LORD, our Shepherd.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
Studying this Psalm has shown me so much about how the LORD’s provision and presence impact the “sheep,” who follow Him: He provides contentment (v1) and necessities (v2), as well as righteous direction (v3) from His Word (2 Timothy 3:16!). His presence builds courage in treacherous valleys (v4) and in our struggle with real enemies (v5) [as defined by Ephesians 6:12]. Finally, through His guidance and discipline, we find comfort (v4); and all these experiences give us confidence to reflect His goodness to the world around us, knowing our future is secure (v6).
CONVICTION
I am convicted that the LORD, my Shepherd, is enough. Looking back, my life is littered with bad decisions that could have cost me everything. Yet here I am: scarred, yes, but otherwise unscathed. Moreover, this study has emphasized to me that my survival hasn’t come from any achievement on my part. It’s one hundred percent because of the LORD’s protection and provision.
CORRECTION
So what am I to do with this good news? I believe this time, God is using this study to focus my heart on verse 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I see this statement of David’s as a challenge to me to accept the Christian commission described in Matthew 28:19-20 and show goodness and mercy to the world by sharing the gospel with others.
ACTION PLAN
This feels like a call to step out of my comfort zone and possibly return to work or some other situation where I can influence others, particularly non-Christians. I’m praying for more clarity: that I will see and recognize the path He’s leading me on!
Our Next Study
In the meantime, I can’t wait to learn more about God by examining other names for Him. Next week I’ll begin studying sections of 1 Samuel chapter 17, exploring another term David used for God, the LORD of hosts. I hope you’ll join me for that study, too!
by Jen | Jan 20, 2026 | DISO studies, Galatians 5
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi—thanks for checking in with me today!
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
Over the last seven weeks, Paul taught me I have a choice: I can choose the salvation of God’s unfailing, unending grace and look forward to forever in heaven with Him by believing Jesus Christ was God’s Son who willingly gave His earthly life to redeem me. Or I can opt to always act in accordance with every condition of God’s law. I can’t do either of these perfectly, but the risk manager in me realizes that grace covers me even when my belief is small as a mustard seed. I choose grace.
CONVICTION
I am reminded that my actions always reflect what I believe. And, unfortunately, that fluctuates. Many times, I let fear take over when faith should lead. I speak or act based on what I’m afraid of because my confidence in Jesus isn’t strong enough to overcome the worry.
CORRECTION
In this study, two cross-references caught my eye: He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33 ESV); and Luke’s version: And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened” (Luke 13:20-21 ESV). These two are the only instances where leaven is used as a positive influence: a woman working with this hidden substance successfully impacts a whole batch of flour.
For good (or bad), my faith impacts my behavior. But I know it’s also true that action impacts my belief. About the time I was saved, I read a book called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. To the best of my recollection, it was more self-help than scriptural, but I believe the title is an excellent reminder of what faith looks like: it’s acknowledging I need God’s help for a successful journey but taking the first step anyway.
ACTION PLAN
Going forward, I want to stop allowing fear (unbelief) to hold me back from doing what I believe God has prepared for me to do: studying His Word and helping other women do the same. I want to grow my faith by taking the first step in whatever form it appears and continually reminding myself that He is with me all the way.
Our Next Study
Next week, I’m excited to begin a study of Psalm 23, the Scripture that saved my life thirty years ago and—because God is like that—ties right into what I discovered here in Galatians 5!
This upcoming study kicks off a new series called God Who? where we’ll examine passages that feature several of His names. I can’t wait to explore the treasure to be found there, and I hope you’ll join me to learn more about our awesome God!
by Jen | Mar 10, 2026 | DISO studies, Psalm 23
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! As I write this, I’m struggling with a lingering cough (especially at night) that’s outstayed its welcome by more than a week. I feel weak and tired and sorely in need of a Good Shepherd to give me rest. Lord, hear my cry!
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
He restores my soul. The cross-references focused my attention to see this restoration is fully attributed to the Shepherd. It’s not the sheep’s action (following the Shepherd/LORD) that brings the soul benefit; the restoration comes from and depends completely on the LORD. In Psalm 19:7, David attributes the soul’s revival to the [LORD’s] law, and this law is characterized in Psalm 119:174 as a delight.
From Job, I observed a reference that … God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, [why does God do that? so] that he [man] may be lighted with the light of life (Job 33:29-30).
References from the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea, and Micah focused on God’s intention to restore the relationship between Himself and mankind (see Jeremiah 32:30-42; Hosea 14:4-9; and Micah 7:8-9, 18-19), which comes full circle when Jesus became the Lamb who, once for all, died to restore the souls of all believers to a right relationship with God (see John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
He leads me in righteous paths… This language is echoed in other Psalms David also authored. In Psalm 5:8, Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness… make your way straight before me; and Answer me quickly, O LORD! … Make me know the way I should go … Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:7-8, 10)! The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah also spoke to this leadership visual: And I [the LORD] will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known. I will guide them. I will turn the … rough places into level ground… (Isaiah 42:16). And … I [the LORD] will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble… (Jeremiah 31:9). Again, the LORD leads, and the final clause of my study verse answers why.
It’s… for his name’s sake, which again emphasizes the role of the divine Shepherd (not the sheep). David used the same phrase multiple times in his Psalms: For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great (Psalm 25:11); For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me (Psalm 31:3);But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me (Psalm 109:21); and For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble (Psalm 143:11)! Clearly, the LORD’s name is something special! Just now, the Spirit put the third commandment on my heart—You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain (Exodus 20:7). And Jesus’s statement, whatever you ask in my name, I will do (John 14:13). Whew, God is already showing me the awesome power of His name in Scripture, and I’ve only just started studying it!
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
This time, I compared four other translations of Psalm 23:3 to the English Standard Version. The New Living Translation (NLT) and Good News Translation (GNT) provided interesting perspective. Both versions differed from the ESV, Amplified (AMP), and New American Standard Bible (NASB20) in the first clause by rendering the action as renewing or giving new strength (not refreshing or restoring the soul); and in the second clause by substituting guides for leads.
As far as the third clause, I think the NLT and GNT provide more perspective: in the NLT, the renewal and guidance [bring] honor to his [the LORD’s] name. Finally, in contrast to all the other translations, the GNT renders the last clause, as he has promised. On reflection, I think this means God does what He says He will do, which every line of His Word reminds me of, over and over again.
COMMENTARY
I didn’t spend a lot of time in the commentaries for this passage. I’m content with focusing on the personal, relational aspects of David’s described connection between himself and his divine shepherd. Though I am no King David, I feel like my personal relationship with YHWH Ra’ah has also been one of restoration, divine guidance (though this ewe isn’t always the best follower!), and revelation that continually shows me how God keeps His promises, even to someone who absolutely does not deserve it!
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, let’s wrap up our study of Psalm 23 and align with what we’ve discovered here:
- PRAY: Use mine from week 2, or your own.
- ALIGN: Review your study notes (or what I’ve posted since week 2) and consider what you’ve learned in this study.
- ALIGN: Then, think about how the Spirit has convicted you through this study. In other words, where has He shown you misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how you practice your faith?
- ALIGN: Next, look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. For me, this is often a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, reflect on how you can change thoughts or actions to align more closely with what you’ve discovered here.
To make this stick, I commit to change something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
I know the Lord will bless our efforts to understand and apply His Word!
by Jen | Jan 13, 2026 | DISO studies, Galatians 5
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! Let’s dig right into what I found in my review of cross-references, other translations, and relevant commentaries.
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
These references stood out this week:
- Matthew 16:6-12. Jesus told his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which, He explained, meant they needed to be wary of what those Jewish leaders taught. Depending on which commentary you follow, it seems Paul might have used the proverb that way also (see below).
- Luke 12:1-3. In Luke’s version, Jesus calls out specifically the Pharisees’ hypocrisy as the leaven he warns against.
- 1 Corinthians 5:6-8. Here, Paul chastises the Corinthian congregation for tolerating sexual immorality and arrogance, exhorting them to clean out the old leaven of malice and evil and, instead, be like the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
The first thing I noticed in this comparison was punctuation in the New International Version and the Good News Translation: both included quotation marks around this statement. I interpreted that as an indication this statement didn’t originate with Paul; it was likely a proverb he quoted. In fact, the GNT version even adds as they say at the end of the verse to make that clearer.
The Amplified Bible went a little further into an explanation, identifying possible comparisons Paul might have intended his audience to consider: A little leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church]. Though it doesn’t stay true to the actual verbiage of the verse, based on my research and review of other commentaries on this verse, I think it does the best job of stating what Paul probably intended his audience to hear: that the church should strictly adhere to the gospel as Paul proclaimed it to them and not listen to those who argued salvation also required compliance with all law.
COMMENTARY
This time, I first narrowed the list of commentaries to those applicable to my focus verse (Galatians 5:9). Then, I searched for my key term from that verse: leaven (Hint: pressing Ctrl+F on your Windows keyboard—or Command+F on Apple—enables a word search box where you can enter any terms you want to locate on the page).
After focusing my review on the sections of commentary featuring that word, I made these observations:
- Not all the commentators I reviewed agreed on what Paul intended leaven to represent in this context: some suggested it was doctrinal error (for example, you’re saved by grace, but you still need to keep the whole law, too), and others thought it referred to false teachers (though there might only be a few of these pseudo leaders, their influence spread enough confusion to taint the whole community). Some even felt it might represent both—or any other type of influence that threatened to lead the Galatians astray or dilute the gospel.
- Regardless of who or what leaven represents, though, they agreed that the gospel (the way of grace) and the (way of) law are incompatible: one cannot be saved by grace if he chooses to depend on his own works for salvation.
Considering this, it seems to me humans can never succeed in keeping the whole law—the standard of behavior is just too high for us to clear. But faith is something we can manage with the help of the Spirit (who will also help us manifest love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, according to v22). Thank God for the Holy Spirit!
Dig-In Challenges
This coming week, let’s wrap up our study of Galatians 5 and align with what we’ve discovered here:
- PRAY: Read the prayer created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Review our study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what we’ve learned in this study.
- ALIGN: Then, considering those “lessons learned,” think about how the Spirit has convicted us through this study. In other words, where has He shown us misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how we practice our faith?
- ALIGN: Next, let’s look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. This is often—but not always—a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, reflect on how we can change thoughts or actions to align more closely with what we’ve discovered here. To make this work, I commit to change something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
If you haven’t been able to work through everything with me in the last seven weeks, I encourage you to read through my previous posts in this series and ask the Holy Spirit to work with you on steps 3-5 above. I know the Lord will bless your efforts to understand and apply His Word!
GO TO WEEK 8 >
